Saviour
by effie-mclair
Summary: 7 year old Spencer Reid is taken away from his abusive home by two F.B.I. agents. They soon fall in love with him, and adopt him.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: In this fic, Hotch is not married to Haley or was ever married to her and he does not have Jack. Just so you don't get confused:)

Spencer Reid sat on the floor of his room, reading. He only had one book, and he had found it in the trash. But he liked the book. It had a lot of words, and it was big. He loved to read, and he always wished he had more books.

But his father wouldn't let him have any. Spencer put his finger over one of the words, tracing slowly.

"Loom- in-es-cent.." he tried to pronounce one of the harder words he found.

"Luminescent," Spencer smiled once he got it right, and flipped the page. Just then, an angry yell came from downstairs. Spencer quickly shut his book, putting it behind his bed. He heard the footsteps coming up the stairs, and he braced himself. His father opened the door, staggering into the room. He had a bottle in one hand and blood all over his shirt.

"You piece of shit!" his father yelled, raising his hand to hit him.

Spencer dodged out of the way, but his father grabbed him. He punched Spencer in the cheek, making him cry out and fall to the ground.

"Think you can get away with not obeying?" his father yelled, kicking him in the ribs.

Spencer tried to block out the pain as he curled himself up.

"I'm sorry!" Spencer cried, even though he had no idea what he did. His father would always come up with excuses to hurt him. After a few minutes, his father got bored, and walked out of the room, bottle in hand. Spencer lay on the floor, pain running through his ribs.


	2. Chapter 2

"This could be him. There's a strong chance it's him," Hotch said as they unbuckled themselves.  
JJ nodded, looking out the car window to the run-down house they were parked at. The team has gotten called to Washington to investigate a case about four murdered women. The evidence had lead them too William Reid, who was the victims attorney and had a record for violence.  
"Let's go," Hotch opened his door, stepping out into the cold night.  
The two walked down the cracked driveway, Hotch in front. As he reached the door, he heard yelling coming from inside.  
"-never do anything right! You're a piece of shit!" Aaron glanced at the worried look on JJ's face before knocking. The yelling immediately stopped.  
"Get the fucking door!" A few seconds later, Aaron heard the door click, and swing open.  
He looked down, to see a boy who looked about five. Aaron immediately saw the purple bruise on the boy's cheek, and his heart clenched.  
"Hi, sweetie. Is your dad home?" JJ spoke sweetly to the boy, bending down a bit.  
The boy nodded and turned around to get him as soon as he walked into the living room.  
"Who the fuck are you?" He slurred, and Hotch grimaced at the sight of the bottle of vodka in his hand.  
"My name is Agent Hotchner, and this is Agent Jareau. We're with the FBI, and we're wondering if we could ask you a couple of questions," Hotch stepped into the house, being ninety- percent sure they had the right guy. He looked around the living room, noticing the stained walls and ratty couch, bottles and cans surrounding it.  
"About what?" William Reid snapped. "About your clients, Hannah Strall, Danielle Wells, Julie Kyoto, and Anna Green," he noticed the brief look of fear on William's face.  
"JJ, can you please take him to the other room?" Hotch whispered to JJ, who nodded.  
"Come on, sweetie," she put her hand on the boy's shoulder, and Hotch saw him flinch.  
He looked back at William, anger running through him. He murders women and beats his own son. Hotch was determined to put him behind bars. Once JJ and the boy were in the other room, Hotch spoke.  
"Do you know anything about those clients, Mr. Reid?" Hotch watched as a mixture of emotions went across William's face, ending with anger.  
"No, why would I?" He spat.  
"They're dead," Hotch stated.  
"Good. Filthy whore's anyways," William snorted.  
Hotch furrowed his eyebrows at him. The bottle he was holding was about empty, so Hotch knew he was smashed. He could hopefully get something out of him.  
"You're office was the last place they we're at, Mr. Reid," He glared at Hotch.  
"What's you're fucking point?" William stepped closer to Hotch, and Hotch cringed at the smell of alcohol on his breath.  
"You were the last person to see them, Mr. Reid. I think you killed them, too," Hotch watched as William looked at him angrily.  
Suddenly, he raised his fist, punching Hotch in the face. Hotch swore in pain, turning away. JJ ran into the room, hearing Hotch, and at the same second, William raised his fist again. JJ grabbed his arms, pulling them behind his back. She pulled out the handcuffs, clicking them around his wrists.  
William yelled, fighting against her, but JJ was much more stronger then him. She quickly pressed a button on the radio, paging other officers to the scene. Hotch rubbed his cheek in pain, and turned as he heard a sniff. Hotch looked at the doorway of the kitchen, seeing the boy standing there crying. Hotch walked over to him.  
The boy backed away, and Hotch remembered he had to be cautious. The boy had clearly been abused and was afraid of adults. He bent down, and smiled at him.  
"What's you're name buddy?" Hotch asked gently.  
"S-Spencer," he whispered, looking at Hotch with uncertainty.  
"It's okay now, Spencer. You're dad is going to jail," Spencer looked at the door as JJ pulled his father outside.  
"Did he do that to you're cheek, Spencer?" Hotch asked sadly, and Spencer nodded slowly.  
Hotch slowly got closer to him, and put his arms around Spencer. He stood completely still, not familiar with comfort. Hotch rubbed his back soothingly.  
"It's going to be okay, he can't hurt you anymore," Hotch whispered, and he felt Spencer lean his head on his chest.  
Hotch hated seeing kids get hurt. Especially by their parents. Hotch slowly picked Spencer up, careful not to scare him, and walked outside. The officer that was called helped put him in the back of the police car, and gave him a blanket. Hotch sat beside him, not feeling right about leaving him.  
Spencer had his arms wrapped around his middle.  
"Is there anywhere else that hurts, Spencer?" Hotch asked gently, and Spencer didn't respond.  
"It's okay if it does," Spencer slowly nodded.  
"My ribs," he said quietly, and Hotch nodded sadly.  
"Okay, hang tight bud," Hotch got out of the car, where the one officer was assisting JJ and the other officer.  
He put him in the back of the other police car, slamming the door shut. "Is his son okay?" The officer asked with concern.  
"I think he needs to get to a hospital," Hotch said.  
"I'll take him," the first officer said. Hotch nodded. "Thank you. I'll meet you back at the station, JJ," Hotch said to her before walking back to the car.  
He got back into the back seat, where Spencer sat, asleep. His brown wavy hair hung across his face, exposing the bruises on his neck. Hotch cringed. How could his father do this to him? He was so small and looked so fragile, like he barely ate. Right then, Hotch promised himself he would make sure this kid would be okay.

 **Author's note: Sorry my writing style isn't the best lately, I just started writing again. I've been wanting to do an AU with kid spencer for a while, and I hope you guys like it..:)**


	3. Chapter 3

Hotch stroked his thumb gently over Spencer's hand, watching as he slept peacefully. He had fallen asleep after his examination, and Hotch was glad. As soon as the doctor went to try to look at his injuries, Spencer had gone into a full panic attack. Hotch held him through it, repeatedly telling him he was safe. He had gotten him to calm down enough for the doctor to heal the wounds crossing his back. The doctor also found out that two of Spencer's ribs were broken, and he had a fractured wrist.

Hotch swallowed. Even though he studied murderers and criminals for a living, he was still confused when someone hurt a child this badly. Spencer was so small, how did he even survive his fathers abuse? "Hey," Hotch turned his head to the door, where JJ was standing with two cups of coffee.

She walked in, handed him one, and sat down in the chair beside him. "Has he woke up yet?" she asked, looking at Spencer.

"No," Hotch replied.

JJ sipped her coffee. "He's one strong kid," she said quietly.

Hotch nodded. "I'm going to make sure his father is in for life," he stated bitterly.

He took a sip of his coffee, and set it on the table beside Spencer's bed.

"I think it's sweet you're staying here with him," JJ said, putting a hand on Hotch's arm.

"He doesn't have any family. Garcia checked," Hotch looked at Spencer. They had found out Spencer was seven, but smaller for his age because of not being fed and properly cared for.

"Foster care is brutal..." Hotch whispered, and suddenly, he had an idea.

"JJ?" he asked, still looking at Spencer.

"Yeah?" Hotch looked over at her. "What if I adopt him?" He asked, and JJ have him a questioning look.

"Are- Are you sure? I'm not saying it isn't a good idea, but taking on the responsibility of a father so suddenly could be hard..." JJ trailed off.

"I can't let him go into foster care, JJ. It would destroy him. You know how horrible it is," Hotch looked at Spencer.

"I could be a good dad, right?" JJ smiled, putting a hand on Hotch's. "You would be a great dad," Hotch grinned.

"So, do you think I should?" he asked. "Yeah, I think you should," she said, nodding. Hotch gave her a smile. He had always wanted to be a father, he just didn't think he was ready yet. But Hotch already loved Spencer, and was going to give him the live he deserved.


	4. Chapter 4:

Hotch smiled at the sight of Spencer eating his jello. He was hurriedly scooping it into his mouth, and it was falling onto his lap.

"Hey, slow down bud," Hotch said, and Spencer glanced at his lap.

"Sorry," he said quietly, and Hotch shook his head.

"It's alright, do you want another one?" Derek had bought a few cups of jello for Spencer, and Spencer had told him that he had never had jello before. He seemed to really like it.

"Yes please," Spencer said politely as Hotch grabbed him a green jello cup off of the bedside table.

He tore of the plastic top, and gave the cup to Spencer. Hotch had never met such a polite kid. He hadn't told Spencer about the thought of adopting him. He wanted to make sure it was okay with him first.

"Spencer?"

"Yeah?" Spencer paused his eating. Hotch took a breath.

"I was thinking after you get out of the hospital, instead of going somewhere else to live you could stay with me?" Spencer have him a confused look.

"I don't have to go back?"

Hotch sighed.

"No, Spencer. Never. You're father is in jail," He said firmly.

Spencer smiled. "I- I can stay with you?"

Hotch nodded. "If you want,"

Spencer nodded quickly. Hotch grinned. Suddenly, a woman in a black suit walked in. She looked stern, with her hair in a tight ponytail and her file folder clutched to her side.

"Agent Hotchner? Could I speak with you?" Hotch smiled at Spencer.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Spencer nodded. The woman walked out of the room as soon as Hotch got up. He shut the door behind him, and looked at the woman.

"Rebecca Dean," Hotch shook her hand.

"I'm with the department of child services. I was told you spoke to one of my co-workers about adopting Spencer,"

"Yes, ma'am,"

"Are you certain you want to?" Hotch nodded, giving her a confused looked.

"I only ask because it is hard to deal with a child that has been abused," Hotch nodded in understanding. She went on. "I was also told my co-worker wasn't able to speak to Spencer, due to him being unstable," Hotch cringed at that word.

"Yes, ma'am," Spencer wasn't _unstable,_ he was having a panic attack!

"We need to find out the extent of Spencer's abuse, so the right penalties can be made for his father. But I don't think we would make much progress with Spencer, because we're strangers. I was wondering, if you could find out the extent of it? It looks like he really trusts you," She gave him a small smile.

"By 'extent of it', do you mean..?"

"We need to know if he was abused in any other way, yes,"

Hotch sighed. He had been fearing that. He knew the way Spencer responded to touch, and the way he acted, was similar to people dealing with sexual abuse, but he hoped that he wasn't.

"I will find out, ma'am," Hotch said, and Rebecca nodded.

"Thank you. Here is my card," she handed him the white piece of paper, and Hotch pocketed it.

They said their goodbyes, and Hotch walked back into the room. Spencer was staring out the window, the empty jello cup sitting beside him. Hotch walked to his chair, sitting down slowly.

"Hey bud,"

Spencer turned his head.

"Can we talk for a sec?" Hotch noticed the brief look of fear on Spencer's face before he nodded.

"How long has your father been hitting you?" Hotch asked gently.

"S- since I can remember,"

Hotch nodded. "Did he do anything else besides hit you?"

Spencer suddenly looked nervous. "H-He belted me," Spencer said quietly, and Hotch nodded, grabbing his hand.

He knew that his father had belted him from the wounds and old scars on his back.

"Did he do that a lot?" Hotch asked quietly.

"Only when I was really bad,"

"What was 'really bad'?"

"When I didn't do the chores or I didn't make dinner," Hotch felt his chest clench.

He belted his seven year old son if he didn't make dinner?

"H-He choked me too," Spencer said suddenly, and Hotch saw tears well up in his eyes.

He rubbed his thumb over the back of Spencer's hand, as he tried to contain his emotions.

"How often?"

"W-When he was drunk," Spencer looked down.

Hotch knew he needed to find out if his father had done anything else to him.

"Spencer... did he do anything that he wasn't supposed to?" Hotch watched him shake his head quickly, fear in his eyes.

"It's okay, you can tell me," he said gently.

Spencer wrapped his arms tightly around himself, letting the tears roll down his cheeks.

"I- I'm sorry. I was bad, I'm so s-sorry," Spencer cried.

Hotch immediately sat on the bed, wrapping his arms around Spencer.

"Shh, it's not you're fault. You're not bad, buddy. He's bad," Hotch rubbed his back gently, feeling tears prick his eyes.

That piece of shit. Hotch wanted to kill him. He felt anger rising inside of him, but as Spencer let out a small cry, he brought himself out of it. Spencer clutched onto Hotch's shirt.

"P-Please don't be mad. I-I'm sorry," Spencer stuttered, making Hotch hold him tighter.

"I'm not mad, buddy. This isn't you're fault. It's going to be okay," Hotch started to stroke his head gently, speaking soothing words to him.

After a few minutes, he noticed Spencer was merely hiccuping.

"You're so brave," Hotch leaned his lips on Spencer's head.

"I promise it's going to be okay, I won't let him hurt you again," Hotch kissed the top of Spencer's head lightly.


	5. Chapter 5

They drove in silence down the quiet suburban street. Spencer was fidgeting with the loose thread on his sweater, while watching the houses pass by.

"My coworker Penelope did you're room. She put some books and toys in there, but we can go shopping for more things soon," Hotch looked at Spencer, trying his best to get him to talk.

Ever since they left the hospital, Spencer had been silent. Hotch knew he was incredibly nervous. It had only been a week and a half since they had taken him away, and it was a lot to digest for him.

"We're here," Hotch pulled into the driveway of a white two story home with a small garden in the front.

Spencer looked up at the house with interest. He opened the car door and jumped down from the seat with difficulty. Hotch did the same, walking around to his side.

"Is it okay?" Hotch asked, noticing the troubled expression on Spencer's face.

He nodded. "I stay here forever?" he asked, looking up at Hotch.

Hotch sighed. Even in the hospital, it was hard for Spencer to grasp the fact that he was actually leaving his father. Hotch knelt down to his level.

"Forever. I promise," he said, and Spencer gave him a small smile.

stood up, and lead him into the house. Hotch put his keys down on the small brown table by the door, and walked into the living room. Garcia had apparently kid-proofed the room, because all the breakable decorations we're gone, and the couch and tv had moved.

"Want to see you're room?" Hotch asked, and Spencer nodded. He walked with him upstairs, and Hotch pointed to the first door on the left.

"That's the bathroom," he then pointed to the next door.

"And that's my room," Hotch walked to the last door on the right.

"And this is your's," he opened the door, and walked in.

Spencer walked in slowly, taking in his surroundings. He looked at the room on awe. Hotch smiled. Garcia had done a pretty good job. There was a blue bed by the window, with a matching blue nightstand. She had also put in a bookshelf full of different books her and JJ had picked out, and two boxes of lego.

"This is my room?" Spencer asked in disbelief. Hotch smiled.

"Yup. We can go shopping tomorrow for things to make the room even cooler, how does that sound?"

Spencer frowned. "I don't understand,"

Hotch knelt down in front of him. "What don't you understand?"

"I- I bad. I don't deserve this," Hotch sighed, looking at Spencer sadly.

"You are not bad. You deserve a new room and toys," Hotch pulled him into a hug.

Spencer stood motionless, not used to comfort.

"You're a good kid, Spencer," Hotch said to him, and he felt Spencer lean his head on his shoulder.

He hated Spencer thinking he was bad, and he promised himself was going to work hard on shaping Spencer's thoughts about himself to positive ones.


	6. Chapter 6

How 'bout this one?" Hotch held up a green sweater.

Spencer nodded. Hotch suppressed a sigh. Spencer had said yes to everything so far. Hotch knew he was used to saying whatever he thought adults wanted him to say.

"Spencer, you know you can say no to the clothes I pick if you don't like them,"

Spencer shrugged. "I don't care," Hotch nodded, putting the sweater in the cart with a sigh.

They were shopping in the busiest Walmart in the city, and the constant chatter of people was putting Hotch on edge. He pushed the cart down the aisle, finding a stack of shirts Spencer would maybe like.

"These look cool. One has superman on it, look," Hotch held up the shirt in front of him.

Spencer nodded again, suddenly looking nervous. Hotch put the shirt in the cart.

"You okay bud?" Hotch asked kneeling down in front of Spencer.

"Lots of people.." Spencer mumbled.

Hotch noticed his rapd breathing, and knew this was the start of a panic attack. He put his arms out slowly, trying to show Spencer he was just picking him up. Spencer quickly threw his arms around Hotch's neck. Hotch smiled at that.

"It's okay buddy. We're gonna go pay for our things then we'll get out of here," he started to rub his back gently.

Hotch pushed the cart out of the aisle, quickly walking to the nearest cash register. Hotch sighed as he saw that all the cash registers had huge lines. He walked to the first one, and started to rub Spencer's back again. He wished they hadn't gone shopping on a Saturday, but Spencer needed clothes. CPS had gone through his bedroom to get his clothes and belongings, but only found one worn down pair of pants and a T-shirt.

Hotch promised Spencer they would get as many books and toys as he wanted, and at the mention of books, Spencer seemed to get excited. He had told him he loved to read, but his father didn't let him have any books. Hotch suddenly cringed. The thought of William Reid made him sick. Hotch couldn't wrap his head around the fact that a parent could harm their child this much. Spencer was an amazing kid, and never rude, but seemed to get beaten everyday.

Spencer suddenly whimpered.

"It's really loud," he whispered.

"I know buddy, I'm sorry. We'll be out of here soon," Hotch said as he saw that there was only four people ahead of them.

He rocked slowly from side to side while rubbing Spencer's back. Hotch knew panic attacks would happen to him a lot as he got better, he just hoped that Spencer didn't have an anxiety disorder. Finally, it was their turn at the till, and Hotch quickly unloaded the many clothing items. The lady at the till smiled at him.

"How are you today sir?" she asked politely while scanning one of the shirts.

"Good, how are you?" Hotch positioned Spencer on his hip so he could see the woman.

"Bit tired. Always really busy on Saturdays," Hotch nodded on agreement.

The woman bagged the clothes, and Hotch put them in the cart.

"Have a nice day," Hotch smiled at the woman before pushing the cart away.

He walked out into the hot Saturday afternoon, squinting in the sun. He put the cart back, and carried the four bags back to his car. Hotch unlocked the trunk of the SUV, and put the bags in.

"Gotta get in you're seat now, bud," Hotch said to Spencer, walking to the side of the car and opening the door.

He slowly put Spencer in his booster seat, and looked at him.

"You feeling okay now?" he asked gently.

Spencer nodded. "Yes. A-Are we going to you're house now?"

Hotch smiled. "Our house, yes," Spencer nodded, and leaned his head on the seat, closing his eyes.

Hotch closed the door, and got into the driver's seat. They drove down the road silently, and as Hotch looked at Spencer in the mirror, he saw he was sleeping. Hotch drove for ten minutes before pulling into the driveway. He got out and shut the door quietly, careful not to wake Spencer. Spencer stirred a bit as Hotch picked him up out of his booster seat, but stayed asleep. Hotch carried him in and laid him down on the couch. The nurse had told him that Spencer would need a nap in the middle of the day, but Hotch had forgot.

He had a checklist of things he needed to do for Spencer's room, and buy for him. Hotch had talked to Spencer about painting his room, and Spencer had told him his favorite color was green. Hotch made a mental note to go to the paint store after he and Spencer bought some books and toys. Hotch looked over at Spencer, smiling. He didn't care that Spencer wasn't his biological son, he still loved him like he was. And he knew he would be more of a father then William ever was.


	7. Chapter 7

Hotch shot out of his bed at the sound of a terrified scream. He stumbled out of his bedroom, still half asleep, and hurried into Spencer's room. He flicked the light on, his eyes taking a second to adjust. Spencer was squirming and panting in his bed, as tears streamed down his face. Hotch hurried over to him, putting his hands on Spencer's shoulders lightly.

"Spencer! Wake up, you're safe!" Hotch watched Spencer shrug away from the contact.

"No! No, stop!" Spencer put his arms over his head, curling into himself.

"I'm sorry..." Spencer cried, and Hotch rubbed his arm.

"Spencer, wake up buddy. It's okay, you're safe," He spoke in a soothing tone, hoping it would bring Spencer out of his nightmare.

Spencer suddenly opened his eyes, and quickly moved away from Aaron.

"It's okay buddy, it was just a nightmare,"

Spencer pushed the tears away from his eyes.

"Please don't be mad," he whispered, and Hotch gave him a confused look.

"Why would I be mad?"

"B-Because I woke y-you up. I-I'm sorry," Hotch reached his hand out slowly, and stroked Spencer'a head.

"Your supposed to wake me up when you have bad dreams," Hotch said, and Spencer closed his eyes as he continued to stroke his head.

Hotch knew that after a trauma, nightmares and panic attacks we're very common. He just wished Spencer didn't have to go through that.

"What was your nightmare about?" Hotch asked gently, and Spencer looked away from Hotch.

"H-He was drunk..." Spencer sniffed, and wiped his eyes.

"He told me to b-be good, and I tried, but h-he still hurt m-me," Spencer suddenly turned his head into the pillow, crying softly.

"It's okay buddy, shh," Hotch rubbed Spencer's back gently.

"I'm sorry..." Spencer said quietly, turning to face Hotch.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Hotch got up from kneeling, and sat on Spencer's bed.

Spencer scrambled into Hotch's chest, and Hotch wrapped his arms tightly around him.

"It's not you're fault, Spencer," Hotch said.

"Then why did h-he do those things?" Spencer asked, hurt in his voice.

Hotch held him tighter. "Because he's a bad man who does bad things to people. I'm sorry he had to do that to you," Hotch said quietly.

He hated seeing so much sadness in Spencer. A child wasn't supposed to feel that way. Hotch rubbed Spencer's back slowly, trying to get him back to sleep.

"Aaron?"

"Yeah bud?"

"C-Can you stay in here tonight? I-I don't want to be alone,"

Aaron kissed the top of Spencer's head. "Of course,"

He gently laid Spencer down on the bed, pulling the covers over him. He got in beside Spencer, and Spencer leaned his head on Hotch's chest. Hotch wrapped his arms around him, and stroked his head lightly. Spencer soon fell asleep, looking peaceful in Hotch's arms.

 **A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been camping. But I'll try to update more often!**


	8. Chapter 8

"How is he doing?" JJ whispered to Hotch as they watched Spencer play with his lego in the living room.

"Better. He talks way more now, and he's actually playing," Hotch wiped down a plate and put it in the drying rack.

JJ had come over for dinner, and Hotch felt glad it went well. He had expected Spencer to be nervous around a new person, but he seemed to really like JJ.

"That's good. He'a such a sweet kid," JJ smiled.

"I know. I just wish he thought that,"

"What do you mean?"

"He thinks he's a horrible human being. His father apparently used to tell him he was worthless," Hotch shook his head.

"It's common for victims to think that, but the more you compliment him and show him he's important, his thoughts will change," JJ put her hand gently on Hotch's arm.

Hotch smiled at her. "I hope so,"

Just then, Spencer came running into the room carrying his lego.

"Look what I made!" Spencer held up what looked to be spaceship, grinning.

"Wow, good job bud! Can I see?" Hotch knelt to Spencer's level and held out his hands.

Spencer slowly handed him the creation, and Hotch looked it over. Spencer really did have a creative side. It looked like one of the spaceships they showed on the lego boxes. He hadn't even bought him a kit, Spencer had just seemed to had built it on his own.

"This spaceship is awesome, you're already an expert!" Hotch said smiling.

Spencer beamed. "Can we save it?"

"Of course. I'll put it on the shelf," Hotch walked out of the kitchen to the hallway, where two shelves sat on the wall decorated with small sculptures and such.

Hotch placed the blue and green spaceship on the shelf gently, and walked back over to Spencer.

"Can I make more?" Spencer asked hopefully. "It's getting late. I think it's even past your bedtime," Hotch picked Spencer up, settling him on his hip.

"Say goodnight to JJ,"

"Night, JJ,"

JJ smiled at Spencer. "Night, Spence,"

"Be right back," Hotch whispered to JJ, and he walked upstairs.

He opened Spencer's door and carried him to his bed. Once he put him down, Hotch turned the night light beside his bed on. He took the covers from under Spencer and tucked him in.

"Have a good sleep bud, I'll see you in the morning," Hotch kissed the top of Spencer's head.

"Nigh'" Spencer replied groggily, already half asleep.

Hotch smiled, and walked out of the room. He closed Spencer's door halfway, making sure the hallway light was still visible. He walked downstairs, seeing JJ sitting in the couch.

"I have to get back to Will. Thanks for the dinner though," JJ stood up.

"Of course. I'll see you at work tomorrow?" JJ nodded.

"Night," She smiled at him before walking out of the apartment.

Hotch yawned, suddenly realizing how tired he was. He walked upstairs, checking briefly on Spencer. He was sound asleep, and as Hotch walked into his bedroom, he felt happiness bubble inside him. He felt like an actual father.

 **A/N: Sorry if the chapters sometimes show up in code, I have no idea why its doing that. Just tell me in a review if that happens cause i usually don't notice it.**


	9. Chapter 9

Hotch flipped the eggs that he was frying quickly, getting some of the egg white on the side of the pan. He wasn't the best cook, and usually just ate take out or a small snack while at home, but since Spencer came, he had to brush up on his cooking skills. He glanced over at Spencer, who was sitting at the table, staring down at his plate. "Wanna watch a show after we eat until we have to leave?" Hotch turned around, carrying a plate of bacon.

Spencer shrugged. Hotch put some bacon on each of their plates.

"What do you want on your toast?" he took out the butter, which was usually Spencer's choice.

"Butter." he said quietly.

Hotch knew something was on Spencer's mind. He put Spencer's and his toast and eggs on each of their plates and sat down beside him. He was eating his bacon slowly, like he wasn't in the mood to eat.

"What's wrong, Spence?" The nickname JJ had given him stuck, and Spencer preferred it to his real name.

Spencer shrugged. Hotch put down his fork.

"Is it about going to Derek's?" Hotch had an important meeting until the late afternoon, and he had nobody to watch Spencer. Derek had volunteered, and Hotch knew Spencer liked him. Spencer shrugged again.

"You can tell me, bud." Spencer glanced at Hotch, then looked down.

"I just... don't wanna be away from you," he said quietly, still looking away from Hotch.

Hotch sighed. It had been a month since he had adopted Spencer, and they had spent everyday together since Hotch had taken a leave to get Spencer settled. "I'm not going anywhere, you know that." Hotch kept his voice gentle.

He and Spencer had talked about that many times. Spencer had a fear of Hotch giving him away, and Hotch had told him many times that he would never do that, that he was going to stay with him. Spencer nodded.

"I- I know, I just..." Spencer trailed off, and Hotch took his hand slowly.

"Derek is really nice, and he won't yell or anything." Hotch had a feeling that was one of Spencer's worries.

Spencer looked up at him, nodding. "And if you need to talk to me, I'll give you my cell phone number. I'm only a few hours away," Hotch stroked his thumb over Spencer's hand, and Spencer have him a small smile.

"Okay." Hotch smiled at him.

"Now eat your breakfast, then we'll go watch a show." Spencer started to eat his eggs, and Hotch smiled as he ate his breakfast.

The drive to Derek's was quick, and Spencer was quiet the entire time. As Hotch pulled up to Derek's house, he looked over at Spencer. "I know you might be a bit nervous Spence, but I'll be back in a few hours. If you need me earlier I can come and get you, okay?" Spencer nodded, looking at his lap.

Hotch got out of the car, and walked over to Spencer's side. He could tell Spencer wasn't in the mood for walking. He opened the car door, unbuckling Spencer and picking him and the bag at Spencer's feet up. Spencer leaned his head on Hotch's shoulder as they walked to Derek's door. Hotch knocked a few times, and a few seconds later, Derek opened the door.

"Hey, Hotch." Derek smiled at him, and Hotch smiled back as he walked in.

"Thanks for doing this, Derek."

"Of course," Derek walked into the living room, Hotch following.

"I put on a show for you, Spence. It's the national geographic channel. JJ said you liked animals," Hotch put Spencer down on the couch and Spencer looked at the tv with interest.

Hotch smiled. During the month they had spent together, he had figured out Spencer loved animals, science, planets, and reading. He was really intelligent. Hotch loved Spencer's interest in things; he was always so curious about everything. Hotch walked a few steps away from Spencer, motioning for Derek to follow. He handed him the bag in his hand.

"I put a few of his toys in there, and some juice," He kept his voice low, not wanting Spencer to hear them. "I told him if he needs me to pick him up sooner that he can just call me," Derek nodded.

"If he has a panic attack just call me, or just hold him. It seems to calm him down," Derek nodded again.

He put a hand on Hotch's shoulder. "He's going to be fine, Hotch. Stop worrying," Derek gave him a small smile.

Hotch looked over at Spencer, who was distracted by the tv.

"I know," he sighed. "It's just, I've never left him with someone else before. I don't want him to feel scared."

"It will be fine, Hotch. I promise." Hotch smiled at Derek.

He walked over to his son, and bent down beside him.

"I'm going now, buddy," Spencer looked over at him, and threw his arms around his neck quickly. "Promise you'll come back?" Spencer whispered, too quiet for Derek too hear.

"I promise." Hotch held Spencer tightly for a few seconds, before letting go. He kissed the top of his head, and smiled at him.

"I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" Spencer nodded.

"Love you buddy."

"Love you Aaron." Hotch wanted to cry every time Spencer said that.

He never thought he would have a son, and he knew how hard it was for Spencer to accept people. He walked out of the house, leaving for the meeting he really didn't want to go to.

Hotch rubbed the side of his head, staring down at his files. JJ, Rossi, and Garcia sat at the table with him.

"He says there were only four women," JJ said, looking down at her paper.

"But Spencer said there were at least ten he remembered," The four of them were currently going over the William Reid case, and trying to figure out who his other victims were.

They couldn't give him a full sentence until they found all the crimes he had committed.

"They could just say that that was Spencer's imagination during that messed up time though," Garcia said, and Hotch sighed.

"I know, I know," He just wanted this asshole to go to jail for as long as he could.

"But at least we've got him for twenty years for the murders, and ten at least for the abuse." JJ said.

Hotch shook his head.

"It should be fucking more,"

They all looked up as Hotch swore. Hotch saw the damage William Reid had done to his son, through many panic attacks, flashbacks, and countless nightmares.

"I know, Hotch. Spencer just has to be ready to tell us all of it," JJ kept her voice light, not wanting to upset Hotch.

"We could take him to a specialist-" Rossi started but Hotch cut him off. "You want me to make him remember everything more vividly just so he can remember if there were more women? No." Hotch got up from his chair, mumbled something about coffee, and left the room.

He was on edge about this case lately, and he was trying so hard to find out what that asshole did to Spencer, but the only time he would talk about it was when he was having a flashback or a nightmare. Hotch told Spencer he could tell him anything, but Spencer seemed to think Hotch would get mad if he told him things. Hotch walked to his office, grabbed his bag, and left the room. He could tell his team saw him leaving, but he didn't care. He just wanted to go pick up his son and have dinner.

Hotch walked up to Derek's house quickly. He knocked on the door, and was greeted quickly by Derek. He was laughing, and there was a weird stringy like thing on his shirt. "Hi, Aaron!" Spencer came running up behind Derek, carrying a can of what looked to be silly string. "What have you guys been up to?" Hotch said as he walked in.

He looked at the living room, and saw lego scattered all over the floor.

"We got silly string!" Spencer held the can up, smiling.

Hotch's chest filled with happiness. He loved seeing his son so happy. He rarely saw Spencer smile like that.

"I see that." Hotch said, picking Spencer up.

"You also got it in your hair." Hotch picked out a piece of pink string, and sighed.

"Looks like you're gonna need a bath." He smiled at Derek.

"Thanks for taking care of him. The meeting uh, ended early." Hotch looked back at his son, knowing Derek could tell when he lied.

The team knew this was stressing him out, and he tried to maintain his anger when it came to the topic of William Reid, but it was impossible.

"Of course. We had fun. Spencer is an amazing lego builder." Derek said.

"I built a ship and it was really cool!" Spencer said excitedly.

Hotch laughed.

"That's great, buddy. I'm glad you guys had fun." He turned so that Spencer was facing Derek.

"Say bye to Derek." Spencer put out his hand, high giving Derek. "See you guys later." Derek gave Hotch a smile, and the two walked to Hotch's car.

He put Spencer in the front seat, buckling him up. Hotch got in a few seconds later, and looked over to see Spencer asleep. He smiled. He was glad it went well. Spencer was getting better at letting other people in.

At first it had only been him, then JJ, and of course, Garcia because nobody could resist her sweetness, then Derek. He hadn't met Rossi much, but Hotch knew he would soon if Rossi had another one of his amazing dinner parties. The drive back took a bit longer thanks to traffic, and as Hotch pulled into the driveway and looked beside him at his sleeping son, he knew he would have to get the silly string out of Spencer's hair the next day.

A/N: I have not updated in months, I know, I'm an asshole, and I really did want to continue this, I just wasn't that into criminal minds as much. But now I'm fully back in the fandom lol. I can't promise regular chapters, but I will try. Thanks for the reviews and favs!


	10. Chapter 10

"Yeah, I'll give them to you tomorrow. Sorry I didn't finish them last week." Hotch balanced the phone on his shoulder as he cleaned up the lunch that Spencer didn't eat.

"It's okay, Hotch. I know you've been stressed." JJ paused.

Hotch started the tap, washing off the plates.

"We're here for you and Spencer though, you know that. We're going to put that fucking asshole away," Hotch smiled lightly at JJ swearing. He only heard that from her when she was drunk.

"Thanks, JJ." Hotch dried his hands on the dish towel.

"I've got to go JJ, I'll talk to you later?" JJ said goodbye, and Hotch hung up, putting the phone on the counter.

He walked over to Spencer, who was staring blankly at the tv. Hotch kneeled down beside him. He knew Spencer was having a bad day, mostly due to the nightmares he had the night before.

"What you watching?" Hotch asked, looking at the tv.

A man seemed to be doing some sort of talk show, but there were diagrams and pictures on the walls around him.

"Space stuff." Spencer said quietly, not looking up at Hotch.

Hotch gently stroked Spencer's hair, smiling as he closed his eyes. "You can have a nap if you want buddy, it will make you feel better." His bad mood was also probably because of sleep deprivation.

"No it won't." Spencer whispered.

Hotch sighed, moving to sit in front of him.

He continued to stroke his head, hoping he would fall asleep.

"They never go away." Hotch looked at Spencer, the quietness of his voice making Hotch want to cry. "I know, buddy." Hotch sighed. "We're gonna work at making them go away though." Hotch smiled at him, and Spencer looked up at him with confusion.

"How?"

"Sometimes when you talk about it, it makes it feel better," Hotch said, and Spencer frowned, nestling his head into the couch.

"Don't wanna talk about it." He mumbled.

"I know. But it hurts more if you leave it all in like that," Hotch said gently.

Spencer looked up, and Hotch saw tears in his eyes.

"But I don't want you to hate me," He whispered.

"Spencer," Hotch got closer to him, holding one of his hands.

"I will never hate you. What he did, does not make me look at you badly." Spencer looked at him, unsure.

"I love you, Spencer. And the things that have happened to you aren't going to change that." Hotch started to stroke his head again, and he saw the tears fall from Spencer's eyes.

He shot up, throwing his arms around Hotch's neck. Hotch was surprised, mostly because Spencer usually didn't show that much emotion.

Hotch held him tightly, rubbing his back.

"I love you, Aaron." Spencer whispered into his neck, and Hotch smiled.

Spencer was finally coming out of his shell. It took a few weeks for Spencer to even hug him back, and now he was wanting to be hugged. Hotch heard Spencer sniffle, and he resumed his stroking his head. "I'm sorry," Spencer whispered.

"You don't have to be sorry about crying, Spence."

"But William said I was a freak if I cried." Spencer broke away from the hug, looking confused.

Hotch felt rage boil inside of him, but he didn't show it.

"You are not a freak if you cry." Hotch brushed a tear off Spencer's face.

"It's normal. Everybody cries when they're sad."

S"I'm not sad." Spencer said quietly. "Or scared." Hotch added, and Spencer looked down.

"Spence, we need to talk about it soon," Spencer glanced at Hotch.

"I know it's scary. I know you might think he'll get mad if you tell me, but I promise, you're safe from him now." Hotch rubbed his thumb over the back of Spencer's hand, showing him he was okay.

"But I-I feel... disgusting." Spencer said that word with such familiarity, like he used that word about himself many times.

He pulled his hand away from Hotch's, wrapping his arms around himself tightly.

"Hey, look at me." Hotch turned Spencer's head a bit.

"You are not disgusting. What he did doesn't make you disgusting, it makes him disgusting for doing those things to another human. You are amazing." Hotch saw Spencer smile a bit.

"Really?"

"Really." Spencer leaned onto Hotch's chest, and Hotch picked him up, sitting down on the couch with him.

Spencer's eyes were closed, and he looked like he was going to sleep. Hotch resumed stroking his hair. He was thrilled he had made some progress. He didn't know that what was blocking Spencer telling him things. He didn't understand why Spencer thought he would hate him. Why would he? Hotch hoped Spencer would open up to him soon. He wanted so badly to put William away for life.

Hotch looked down upon his now sleeping son, and wondered how William did those things to him. He didn't understand how he could even yell at him, let alone put his hands on him. Spencer shifted a bit, bringing Hotch out of his thoughts. Hotch smiled, the thoughts of finally being a dad making him happy.


	11. Chapter 11

"-and I did a spell that made Derek a frog then he used the water spell and we went on the broom and-" Hotch closed the door behind him as he walked into the house, carrying Spencer.

They had just gotten back from dinner at Rossi's place, and Rossi had shown Spencer the joy of video games.

"Can I get that game, Aaron?" Spencer asked as Hotch put him down in front of the couch.

"Sure, buddy. We gotta get the game system first, then we can get all kinds of games." Hotch said as he took of his jacket.

Spencer grinned, obviously excited at the idea. Hotch put his jacket on the hook, then walked back over to the couch. He grabbed the remote, turning on the tv. He put the remote down, walking to the kitchen.

"You can watch a show bud, then it's bedtime." Hotch said. He turned his head in confusion when he got no reply.

Spencer was standing in front of the tv, and Hotch gasped as he saw what was on the tv. It seemed to be a crime movie, and Hotch watched as a man attacked a woman, pinning her to the ground, obviously triggering Spencer. Hotch rushed over to the tv, grabbing the remote and flicking the channel.

"I'm so sorry bud, I didn't know that would be on." Hotch looked at Spencer, who was still staring blankly at the tv, his arms wrapped around him.

Hotch scolded himself for not checking what show he was putting on for Spencer.

"Hey," Hotch reached out to put his hand on Spencer's arm, but Spencer moved away quickly.

"Don't touch me." Spencer backed away a few steps.

Hotch knew he was having a flashback, but he had never refused his comfort.

"Spence, it's okay, your safe." Hotch said, but Spencer shook his head quickly.

"No. No, bad. Bad." Hotch saw tears well up in Spencer's eyes, and he so badly wanted to hold him.

"Don't wanna be here." Spencer whimpered, and he grabbed fistfuls of his hair, hiding his face behind his arms.

"Spence, it's okay, I'm here. Your safe." Hotch reached out to touch him again, but Spencer gasped and fell backward.

Hotch rushed to help him, but Spencer moved away.

"Please, please, no." Spencer cried, pulling his knees to his chest. Hotch moved closer to him silently, not wanting to scare him. His flashbacks had never been this bad. Hotch didn't know what to do. He just wanted to hold him until he didn't feel scared anymore. He remembered what JJ did with victims they worked with; how she talked them through the flashback. "Spencer, what's happening?" Hotch asked, leaning closer to him. "Daddy. I- I bad." Spencer said, and Hotch put a hand on Spencer's arm.

He didn't flinch away.

"What is he doing?" Spencer started to shake.

"The whip." Spencer whimpered. "Hurts." Hotch started to stroke his hair gently.

"It's okay, I'm here. Aaron's here bud." Spencer stopped crying for a second, and Hotch knew he had heard him.

"Just listen to my voice, okay?" Hotch said, wrapping his arms around Spencer.

"I'm scared." Spencer whispered, and Hotch felt him grab onto his shirt, looking for something to hold. "What is happening?" Hotch knew this was horrible for Spencer, but he needed to know what William did to him.

"H-He's putting the ropes on my feet." Spencer whimpered again, moving closer to Hotch.

"I don't want the electuctes." Spencer cried, gripping Aaron's shirt tightly.

"Electuctes?"

"They make it hurt everywhere." Hotch had no idea what Spencer was talking about, but then he realized.

 _Electrocute._

"Did he electrocute you, buddy?" Hotch asked gently.

Spencer nodded.

Hotch wrapped his arms tighter around Spencer, leaning his lips against his head. That fucking piece of shit. He realized William wasn't into just abuse, he liked torture. Hotch was afraid to find out what else he had done to him. "No, no, no, no." Spencer started to cry again, and Hotch rubbed his back.

"I'm here baby, it's okay." He was trying his best to soothe Spencer, but it didn't seem to be working. Hotch knew this was a part of Spencer healing, he just hated to see him go through it. Spencer had began to hyperventilate, scratching his nails across him arms.

"Hey, no, no hurt." Hotch grabbed Spencer's hands gently.

"Breathe, Spence." Hotch kept holding his hands, and Spencer didn't move away.

Spencer took a deep breath.

"Your safe. I'm here. He can't hurt you." Spencer grimaced slightly, like he was pushing something away.

"Open your eyes buddy. I promise your safe." Spencer shook his head.

Hotch sighed.

"I love you so much, Spencer, please open your eyes." Hotch was almost begging, wanting Spencer to stop seeing those bad things. Spencer slowly opened his eyes, looking up at Hotch. As soon as he saw him, he leaned his head on his chest.

"Aaron." He whispered, clutching onto his shirt.

"I'm here. Your safe." Hotch started rubbing Spencer's back, muttering soothing words. Soon, Spencer was asleep, and Hotch picked him up, carrying him to the couch. He put the quilt they keep on the couch overtop of him, making sure he was warm. He looked down at his son, sadness filling him. Spencer had gone through so much, was tortured and abused, but Hotch had to fight to put the man who hurt him away. He couldn't believe William had electrocuted his son. Hotch hoped it was rarely, but he knew it wasn't. Hotch brushed a piece of hair out of Spencer's face.

"Love you, Spence." He said, kissing the top of his head. He knew that it would be a difficult road to healing, but he was going to make sure he was with his son for all of it.


	12. Chapter 12

Aaron rubbed his forehead gently, trying to soothe the headache he had. The words on the paper were hurting his eyes just by looking at them.

"Want more coffee?" JJ asked, standing up from the table.

Hotch nodded. He heard the coffee maker turn on, and start to brew. The sound of laughter and chatter came from the living room, not helping Hotch's headache.

"We can take a break, Hotch. We've been at this for hours. I think it's almost time for Spence to have lunch." JJ sat back down.

"Yeah, I'll make something for him when he's done watching the movie with Derek." JJ shook her head.

"No, you should go rest. I'm guessing due to the fact that almost half the coffee I bought you yesterday is gone, that you've been at this all night." Hotch began to protest, but JJ put her hand on his.

"Hotch, we're gonna catch this asshole. We've got him for torture now, too. And Spencer is talking to that therapist now, so soon we'll know who the other women are." JJ gave him a small smile.

"Go take a nap, and I'll make some lunch for him." Hotch smiled at JJ, standing up.

Just then, Spencer and Derek walked into the kitchen.

"Aaron, I'm hungry." Spencer said. "JJ's gonna make you lunch. I need to rest for a few, bud." Spencer looked up at him with confusion. "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm just feeling a little tired." Hotch bent down to hug Spencer, and smiled when Spencee wrapped his arms around his neck.

"When I wake up how about we play the xbox?" Hotch pulled away from Spencer and saw a huge grin on his face.

"Can we play the harry potter game?"

"Sure, bud." Hotch smiled at him, and stood up.

He grabbed the papers from the table, and headed upstairs. He entered his room, and placed the papers down on his dresser. As soon as he was in bed, he fell asleep.

Aaron grabbed his coat off the hanger, and his keys off the coffee table.

"Spence, time to go." Hotch called, and heard Spencer's footsteps as he entered the living room.

He turned to see Spencer standing there with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.

"I don't want to go." He said.

Hotch sighed. They had been to two therapy sessions, and on the last one, Spencer had a major panic attack and Hotch had to take him home.

"I know, Spence. But we have to." Spencer gave him a glare.

Hotch bent down in front of him.

"It won't be like the last time, bud." He said.

"I hate it!" Spencer said angrily. Hotch saw years start to form in Spencer's eyes.

"Why?"

"Because it's stupid and-" Spencer looked down, glaring at the floor. "What, buddy?" Hotch put a hand on Spencer's arm.

"I don't want to remember those women- it.. I can't." Spencer looked up at Hotch.

Hotch noticed something different in Spencer's behaviour.

"Please don't make me go." Spencer said quietly, and Hotch rubbed his arm.

"Okay buddy, we don't have to go. But can you tell _me_ about those women?" Hotch and Spencer had talked about it before, and Spencer had given the names of the four women who were taken last, but had also told them there were more women before that. Every time they would talk about it Spencer would have a panic attack. Spencer looked at Hotch, sadness filling his eyes.

"Daddy would always hurt them even though they weren't bad like me," Hotch felt his heart clench when he said that.

They still hadn't got Spencer to think good of himself.

"H-He would usually only keep them for a few weeks, then get another one," Spencer started to shake, and Hotch took his hand, reminding him he was there.

"Until Ella,"

Hotch saw tears start to go down Spencer's face.

"Ella?" He asked, and Spencer nodded.

Hotch could tell this was important to Spencer.

"H-He came home with her, and started to hurt her. But then Daddy got mad at me and started to hit me. Ella started to tell him to hurt her, not me." Spencer was holding Hotch's hand tightly as he talked.

"I- I didn't want him to hurt her, but she kept telling him to." Spencer pushed away the tears from his eyes.

"It is not your fault that she got hurt, Spence. She chose to protect you, she didn't like seeing you getting hurt."

Spencer nodded.

"She told me after that it was okay and she wasn't hurt that bad. And then I told her about Daddy. She said she would find a way out and take me with her." Hotch looked at Spencer sadly.

"S-She would always get Daddy mad. She would say things to get him mad, and after h-he wouldn't hurt me,"

"Tell me about Ella. What was she like?" Hotch was trying to distract Spencer from the trauma of it. Spencer smiled a bit.

"She had blonde hair and she really liked music. She could sing, too. She was really good at it, and she told me stories." Hotch smiled. "She sounds really nice."

Spencer nodded.

"She would always give me her food. Daddy never liked to give me anything, but when he gave her food she would let me have it." Spencer looked down.

"W-When Daddy found out she was helping me, he hurt her really bad," Spencer started to shake again.

"A few days after, I woke up and Ella was holding a phone she had hidden behind a shelf. S-She said when Daddy went out, she would call for help and we would leave. B-But when she was calling, Daddy walked in, and-" Spencer clenched his eyes shut.

"He started to hit and kick her and hurt her, and then he called somebody on his phone. When he left, I tried to help Ella but she said she was okay." Spencer pushed the tears away from his face.

"A man came and took her away, and I tried to stop him, b-but I couldn't." Spencer let the tears fall down his face, and Hotch held him. Spencer started to sob, holding onto Hotch's shirt.

"I know how important she was to you buddy, I'm so sorry."

"I-I loved her." Spencer whispered, and Hotch felt a tear fall down his face.

It hurt him so bad to see his son in this much pain, and it seemed like it was all Spencer felt. Hotch rubbed his back, trying to calm Spencer's sobs.

"Thank you for telling me about her, Spence. It was very brave." Suddenly, Spencer pulled away from Hotch.

He looked at Hotch with a sad expression.

"Do you think she's still out there?" He asked quietly, and Hotch brushed Spencer's hair out of his face.

"There's a chance she is, Spence, and I'm not going to stop until I find out."

Spencer looked up at Hotch, admiration filling his eyes.

"You'll look for her?"

"Of course I will."

Spencer threw his arms around Hotch's neck, leaning his head on his shoulder.

Hotch promised himself he would find that girl. He knew with the help of his team that they would find out what happened to her.


	13. Chapter 13

The team sat at the table in the briefing room, files in front of them. "Thank you all for coming in on your day's off. Spencer told me another one of the women's names, and if we find her, I feel like Spencer will be able to tell us the names of the other women." Hotch said as he stood by the table. "What is her name?" JJ asked. "Ella. He didn't know her last name." Hotch turned to Garcia. "Can you look for all the Ella's that went missing two years ago?" Garcia nodded, going to her laptop. "He said that she liked music, so maybe look for people who have done performances or are known for musical ability?" Hotch said. Just then, Spencer ran into the room, wrapping his arms around Hotch's legs.

"Hey, bud." Hotch picked him up, putting him on his side.

He had brought Spencer in for the day, as it was his day off and he didn't have a sitter.

"You hungry? I think everyone needs a lunch break." Hotch smiled at his team before walking out of the room.

He walked out of the BAU with Spencer, thinking of where to go for lunch.

"What do you want to eat?" Hotch asked as he buckled him in the car.

"Sandwich?" Spencer asked and Hotch smiled.

"Alright." He got into the car, and started to drive to the nearest place that sold sandwiches.

He drove for about five minutes before pulling into the parking lot of a coffee bar. Hotch and Spencer walked in, and Hotch immediately noticed the huge amount of people. Spencer grabbed his hand, and Hotch picked him up.

"It's okay buddy. We're gonna grab our sandwiches and go." Spencer leaned his head on Hotch's shoulder.

"Okay." He said quietly.

Hotch stood in line, and he could tell his anxious the crowd was making Spencer feel.

"Can I get two of your ham sandwiches?" Hotch ordered the easiest thing to make, as he wanted to get Spencer out of there. He payed the cashier, and grabbed their food. When they got to the car, Hotch put Spencer down and looked at him.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Spencer nodded, looking down at the ground.

Hotch knew he wasn't okay, but he knew he couldn't push. Hotch put Spencer in his seat, and got in the car. They drove a bit before Hotch realized Spencer wasn't eating. "Eat your sandwich bud, you haven't eaten since breakfast."

"I'm not hungry." Spencer said. "What's wrong?" Hotch looked at his son in the mirror, and saw him wrap his arms around his middle. "Nothing." He said quietly.

Hotch sighed. He didn't talk for the rest of the drive, until they were parked in the BAU parking lot. Hotch unbuckled himself and turned to Spencer.

"Spence, please tell me what's wrong." Hotch had tried to talk to Spencer about bottling his emotions up, but Spencer seemed to think he annoyed Hotch.

He watched as tears streamed down Spencer's face, and he got out of the car hurriedly, walking over to Spencer's side.

"Spence." Hotch put his hand on Spencer's head, stroking gently. "Why do I have to have problems? I just want to be normal." Spencer pushed away the tears from his eyes, and Hotch looked at him sadly.

"Spence, you are normal. I know you think your different but your not. Your amazing." Spencer looked away.

"Then why did he hurt me?" He asked quietly, and Hotch opened his mouth to give an answer, but it didn't come.

He studied people like Spencer's father every day, but he never understood why the did what they did.

"I don't know, bud." Hotch rubbed his arm. "But I know he doesn't deserve to have a son like you." Spencer looked up.

"Why do you think I'm good?" He asked.

"I know your good." Hotch kissed the top of Spencer's head, and Spencer grabbed his hand.

He had made it a habit to do that when he needed Hotch, as sometimes he was unable to speak. "Wanna go inside?" Hotch held out his arms and Spencer wrapped his arms around Hotch's neck.

Hotch closed the car door and walked with his son into the BAU.

"I love you, Spence." Hotch said as they walked down the hallway. "Love you, Aaron." Spencer replied. "Wanna have a nap in my office?" "Okay." Hotch opened the glass doors, and he walked down the walkway.

"Hey, Hotch." Derek greeted him as he walked by.

"I put the files on your desk." Derek said and Hotch nodded.

"Thanks, Derek." Derek smiled at him, then said hi to Spencer, who gave no reply.

Hotch gave him a look and he nodded. Hotch walked to his office, putting Spencer down on his couch. He went to his shelf, pulling Spencer's blanket down.

"Aaron?"

"Yeah, bud?" Hotch put Spencer's blanket down on the couch.

"Do I bother you?" He asked quietly, looking up at Hotch.

He sighed, kneeling to Spencer's level.

"Spence." He started.

"You never bother me. I know your old daddy told you that you were annoying and bad, but you aren't. I like being around you." Spencer looked at Hotch's face, trying to tell if he was lying or not. "Really?" "Really." Hotch stroked his head, and Spencer closer his eyes briefly. "Now go to sleep, and when you wake up we can play legos if you want." Spencer smiled at that, and he laid down, letting Hotch tuck him in.

He kissed the top of his head, and went to sit at his desk. Spencer didn't like him leaving the room while he slept, and he knew it was because of Spencer's issue of trust. Hotch looked at the file on his desk and realized it was for Ella. It said he last name was Green as he started to read her file. She was a waitress that had been in various music schools and ran many clubs. As Hotch looked at her picture, he saw it was exactly the same as Spencer's description. She had wavy blonde hair and green eyes, and looked to be about twenty. He thought about his traumatic it was for his son to see these women get hurt. He knew how much Ella meant to him. He just wished they would find her.

There was a chance she was taken as a prisoner, and he knew they could find her. He hated seeing his son so stressed, he wishes he could just be a kid. JJ had been trying to get Spencer out of the sadness he's been in since revealing Ella. It was working, a bit. Spencer had been more occupied since JJ had been taking him places and Hotch had given him more activities. They had a trip planned to the museum for the first time tomorrow, and Hotch hoped it would be good. He glanced at his sleeping son, smiling he thought about how much Spencer would marvel at the museum.


	14. Chapter 14

Aaron smiled at his son as he did up the last button on his white plaid shirt. Spencer gave him a small smile back, glancing at the mirror.

"Do you like the shirt JJ got for you?" Hotch asked as he helped Spencer put his shoes on.

"Yes." Spencer said, nodding.

"JJ and Derek will be here soon. Are you excited?" Spencer nodded, smiling.

"Will I get to see a real dinosaur?" He asked excitedly, and Hotch laughed.

"Yeah, bud."

He picked up Spencer, carrying him out into the living room. It was Spencer's first trip to the museum, and he was really excited. Hotch knew he had a love for science and history, but he had waited on taking him to the museum because of how Spencer was  
in crowds. His social anxiety had lessened some, and he was finally speaking more without being spoken to first. Hotch walked to door, hearing JJ and Derek outside of it.

"Hey." He greeted, opening the door.

"Hey, Hotch. Hey, Spence." Derek ruffled Spencer's hair as he walked into the house.

"Are you excited about going to the museum?" He asked and Spencer nodded.

"Yeah! Aaron said there is real dinosaurs!" JJ laughed, and Aaron put Spencer down.

"Just sec, bud, I'm gonna go grab your coat." Aaron walked to Spencer's room, coming back with Spencer's grey coat.

He put it over his arm and picked up Spencer.

"All ready then?" Hotch asked, looking at Spencer. Spencer nodded, smiling.

The four of them walked out of the house, getting into Hotch's SUV.

"-he was almost as tall as the ceiling!" Spencer exclaimed as they walked through the door.

"And the telephone was so cool!" Hotch chuckled as he put Spencer down.

The trip to the museum was really fun, especially for Spencer. He seemed to love the inventions and animal exhibits more than the dinosaur exhibit. He was fascinated by the first telephone model, and loved looking at all the different pictures and information  
on animals.

"I'm glad you had fun, bud." Hotch said, smiling.

"I think you would love the aquarium, Spence. I'll take you someday." JJ said, and Spencer looked up at her, interested.

"Is that where the fish are?" He asked, and JJ nodded.

"Yeah, all different kinds of fish." She said, sitting down on the couch.

Spencer sat next to her. "I wanna go."

"Sure, when we have a day off next, I'll take you." Spencer smiled up at JJ.

"Hey, don't leave me out." Hotch said jokingly, smiling at the two. Just then, Hotch's phone went off. He answered, bringing it to his ear. "Hello?" He paused.

"Yes, this is Aaron Hotchner." JJ, Derek, and Spencer all looked at Hotch as his face fell, becoming hard.

"When was this?" Hotch walked off to the kitchen, and JJ and Derek shared a glance.

Hotch talked for another minute, before walking back into the living room, his face hard.

"Time for bed, Spence." He said, his voice lacking it's usual cheerfulness.

"But I wanna talk to JJ and Derek." Spencer said, looking up at Hotch. "It's time for bed, Spencer." At the sound of his full name, Spencer looked down.

"Okay." He said quietly.

He walked ahead of Hotch, going upstairs. He reached his room before Hotch did, and quickly changed into his pyjamas. He felt like Hotch was mad at him, and he didn't want to make him madder. Spencer crawled into bed, pulling the covers up.

"I'll see you tomorrow, bud." Spencer looked at him, confused at the lack of emotion in his voice.

"Love you." Hotch kissed the top of his head, and without waiting for a reply from Spencer, walked out of the room.

Spencer laid there, feeling like he did something wrong. He heard loud voices downstairs, and slowly got out of bed. He wanted to know what they were saying. He walked quietly out of his bedroom, and slowly down the first few steps. He listened carefully,  
trying to figure out what the adults were saying.

"-did anybody see him?" JJ whispered.

"They didn't even fucking call me today!" Hotch said.

Spencer blinked at the surprise of hearing Hotch swear.

"Hotch-"

"They can't even do their fucking job! How the fuck do you not notice somebody escape from prison?!" Hotch yelled, and Spencer swallowed nervously.

He never heard Hotch yell before, and it scared him.

Then he realized what they were talking about. His father escaped. He was coming back. Spencer wrapped his arms around his middle. He knew it. He knew he had to go back to his father. "Hotch, calm down-"

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down!"

Spencer slowly walked down the stairs.

"Aaron?" Spencer said quietly, and the three of them turned.

Hotch's anger immediately dropped when he saw Spencer.

"D-Do I have to go back?" Spencer asked quietly, and Aaron rushed over to him, bending down.

"No. Never. Your not going anywhere." He rubbed Spencer's arm gently.

"Was I bad?" Spencer asked, and Hotch shook his head.

"No, buddy, not at all."

"Y-You swore."

Hotch grimaced.

"I know, I'm sorry buddy. I'm just- I'm really stressed."

"Is-Is he out?" Spencer asked, fear in his voice.

"Not for long. I'm going to find him and put him back in there Spencer, he won't hurt you. Okay?" Spencer looked at Hotch, fear going through his body.

"I promise, Spence. He can't ever hurt you. In jail or not."

JJ bent down beside Hotch.

"Aaron's right, Spence. We're going to find him, it's going to be okay." She gave him a smile.

"Promise?" Spencer whispered, looking at Hotch.

"Promise." Hotch said, and Spencer wrapped his arms around his neck. Hotch fought back tears as Spencer hugged him. He felt he had failed him. The man that hurt Spencer was out there, and Aaron knew what level William's mind was. He would stop at nothing  
to get Spencer back. But he would never let that happen.


	15. Chapter 15

Hotch opened his eyes slowly, looking around the room hazily. He went to get out of bed, when he felt a body against his. Spencer was curled into him, holding onto Hotch's shirt. Hotch smiled lightly, loving how cute Spencer was when he slept. Then heremembered  
/the night before, and his heart fell. Spencer had been too scared to sleep alone, and Hotch knew this would be a regular thing while his father was out there. Hotch stroked Spencer's hair, thinking. They had made so much progresswith Spencer's  
health, and finding the missing women. Hotch knew this would trigger Spencer, and he knew it was going to be extra hard to find William and take care of Spencer. Hotch felt his heart clench when he thought of the pain Spencer had to gothrough.

He was so strong and amazing, despite all the hurt he had experienced. Hotch wished he knew how amazing he was. "Aaron?" Spencer opened his eyes groggily.

"Morning, bud. How did you sleep?" Hotch asked, smiling at him.

"Fine." Spencer said, and Hotch watched as Spencer remembered what happened.

He laid his head on Hotch, and Hotch resumed stroking his hair. "It's going to be okay, Spence." He said.

"I'm scared." Spencer whispered. Hotch wrapped his arms tightly around Spencer, pulling him in close.

He knew words weren't going to change what Spencer was feeling. He could tell him a thousand times that he was safe, and Spencer would still feel scared. He knew that it lessened it though when Hotch held him.

"I promise I will keep you safe, Spence. Your not going anywhere." Hotch rubbed Spencer's back gently, and after a few minutes he heard Spencer's breathing level out, showing he went back to sleep.

Hotch was glad he went back to sleep, as he hadn't gotten much yet. Hotch looked at the clock and saw it was about seven, which means they needed to be up by ten to go to the office. Hotch wanted to start looking for William right away, and he had  
/alreadytold the team to meet him. Closing his eyes, he tried to get a few more hours of sleep.

Hotch put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Spencer, who just stared down at it.

"I was thinking that we should go to lunch with the team today, how does that sound?" Hotch cleared the pan and put it in the sink.

"I think we should get pizza. Do you have anything in mind we should eat?" Hotch sat down at the table with Spencer, and looked at his son with concern when he got no reply.

"Spence." Spencer looked up slowly.

"Sorry. I- uh, pizza sounds good." He said quietly, and went back to staring at his lap.

"Please eat, Spence."

"Not hungry." Spencer mumbled.

Hotch sighed, and got up.

He knew how much this was hurting Spencer, he just wished he could make it stop. He walked over to Spencer and bent down.

"I know you feel scared Spence, I know that you feel unsafe but I would never let anyone hurt you. And neither would the team." Hotch said, and Spencee nodded.

"I know. It's just- he- he said he would find me again if I ever left him." Spencer said quietly, and Hotch grabbed his hand.

Spencer squeezed his eyes shut, blocking his emotions.

"I know his threats still scare you, bud. But he will never do anything to you again." Hotch said.

Spencer nodded a bit, looking down.

"Hey." Hotch gently pushed his chin up. "I mean it. I'm always going to protect you." He said, and Spencer wrapped his arms around Hotch's neck.

He buried himself into his shoulder, like he always did when he was scared. Hotch smiled slightly.

"I love you Aaron." Spencer whispered, and Hotch felt his heart swell, like every time Spencer told him he loved him.

"Love you too, Spence." He said.

Hotch walked into the BAU, carrying Spencer.

"Hey, guys." JJ said, cheerfulness in her voice.

Hotch smiled at her, and watched as she glanced at Spencer.

"Is everyone here?" Hotch asked, and JJ nodded.

"Yeah." She said as they walked into the briefing room.

"Thanks for coming in guys." Hotch said as he placed his briefcase on the desk.

"Garcia." Garcia looked up at Hotch from her computer.

"Yes, sir?"

"Could you watch Spence for a bit?"

Garcia smiled brightly. "Of course!" Hotch went to put Spencer down. "No!" Spencer cried, holding onto Hotch.

"Spence-"

"No leave!"

Hotch sighed. "I'm not leaving, bud. I have to talk about work stuff. Garcia and you can hang out in my office and draw or play with your lego." Spencer shook his head. "No! Scared." Hotch rubbed his back.

"I don't wanna leave you." Spencer whispered, just loud enough for Hotch to hear.

"Hey Spence, here." Garcia pulled out headphones from her bag, and put them in her ipod.

"You can listen to music and sit here with Aaron, while we talk about work, okay?" Spencer nodded, and Garcia got him a chair, putting it beside Hotch.

Hotch put Spencer down it in, and Garcia handed him the ipod. "Thank you." He said, and smiled at her.

He put the headphones in his ears and put on a song, and when Hotch was sure he was occupied and not listening, he spoke.

"Thanks, Garcia." He said, smiling. Hotch looked at his team.

"I think we are going to pause looking for the other five women we don't know yet, and concentrate on finding William." He said, and the team nodded.

"He apparently got out by attacking a guard and stealing his keys." JJ said.

"What about video footage? How did they not see that?"

"There were in an area without cameras." Hotch shook his head, rubbing his temples a bit.

"We need to look at William's old associates, friends, and people he was in contact with. Also, check with the prison and see if he has had any visitors." Rossi and Derek stood up.

"We're on that, Hotch." Rossi said, leaving the room with Derek.

Garcia started to work on her laptop, going through William's files.

"Oh, Hotch. I uh, forgot to tell you." Hotch looked at JJ nervously. "What?"

"There was a robbery yesterday, and uh, the description of the woman matched Ella Green perfectly. I asked LAPD to send the footage."

Hotch furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you think it's her?"

"I hope so. She could be the key to finding out about the other women." Hotch nodded.

He looked over at Spencer, who was happily listening to music. He smiled. He knew that finding that girl would make Spencer happier than anything, and he was going to do that.


	16. Chapter 16

Hotch sat at his desk, looking over the paperwork about William. William had few friends, and they all had their records clean. He knew he probably went to one of his old clients, or associates, but they're were so many. William didn't keep in contact with many people during jail time, but Hotch had sent Derek and Rossi to talk to the people he did visit. Hotch sighed, rubbing his head.

He was stressed out so badly. He didn't want his son to be worried about this, and he wanted to find the missing women. Hotch glanced at Spencer, who was sleeping on the couch. He noticed the frown on his face and stood up. Spencer was squirming under the blanket and clutching his eyes shut.

Hotch bent down.

"Spence." He put his hand on Spencer's shoulder lightly, and Spencer moved away, whimpering. Hotch sighed.

"It's okay, buddy. It's just a nightmare." He said gently. Spencer clutched at the leather of the couch, trying to find something to hold onto. Hotch grabbed his hand gently, and Spencer grabbed it tightly.

"It's okay Spence, I'm here." Spencer started to whimper.

"No, no, no, no." Hotch started to gently stroke his hair, trying to get him out of the nightmare.

He had tried to wake Spencer up by shaking him, but even gently, it made the nightmare worse. Spencer slowly calmed down, and opened his eyes.

"Aaron?"

"It's okay, buddy. It was just a bad dream." Spencer started to curl into himself, but Hotch picked him up and sat on the couch.

He stroked his hair gently as Spencer calmed down.

"What was your dream about?" Hotch asked.

"Daddy was hurting me. He-he was touching me." Spencer grabbed Hotch's shirt. Hotch held Spencee tighter. He knew that the sexual abuse had hurt Spencer worse than anything that had happened to him.

"You're safe now. No one can hurt you." Spencer looked up at Hotch.

"Am I disgusting?" He asked in a quiet voice.

Hotch felt his heart clench when he heard Spencer say that.

"No. You're the most beautiful kid in the world." Hotch kissed Spencer's head, and Spencer smiled lightly.

"I know it feels that way Spencer, but none of us see you that way." Hotch said.

"It just- won't go away." Spencer said.

"A-All I can feel is his hands, and it won't go away." Hotch saw tears appear in Spencer's eyes, and he started to rub his back.

"Sometimes you've got to concentrate on another feeling to not feel that feeling." Hotch said, and Spencer looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, when I hold your hand," Hotch grabbed Spencer's hand, stroking in gently.

"You concentrate on the feeling of my hand. It takes away the other bad feelings." Hotch watched as Spencer stared at his hand, and he kept stroking it.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, and Spencer rested his head on Hotch's chest, not letting go of Hotch's hand.

Hotch walked through the front door, and placed the sleeping child in his arms on the couch gently. He walked to the kitchen, and started the coffee maker. His day had been long and stressful. It was hard to do any paperwork with Spencer glued to his side, and no one had figured out anything about William. Hotch sighed, and rubber his head. He had a bit of a headache, and all he wanted to do was sleep.

But he knew he still had to make dinner and put Spencer to bed. When the coffee pot dinged, Hotch poured himself a cup, added the cream and sugar, then went and sat down on the couch. He thought over the tasks he had to do tomorrow, and he just hoped Garcia could occupy Spencer long enough for him to watch the surveillance footage of the robbery. Hotch sipped his coffee, feeling the headache subside a bit. It went right back at it though when Hotch remembered all the paperwork he had for the next day.


	17. Chapter 17

Hotch awoke to find Spencer curled into him, sleeping peacefully. He had remembered Spencer coming into his room in the middle of the night. He stroked his hair gently, trying to bring him out of his sleep. Hotch had a big day of paperwork, and he wanted to get breakfast done. Spencer shifted a bit, opening up his eyes slowly.

"Morning." Hotch said, and Spencer gave him a small smile. "Wanna have bacon and eggs for breakfast?" Hotch asked, and Spencer nodded.

"Alright." Hotch got out of bed, Spencer following.

Hotch put on the bacon, and set the table. He glanced at Spencer as he cooked, and saw him staring at his plate. Before William got out, Spencer used to list random facts and talk about everything while he waited for his breakfast to be cooked. Hotch started to cook the eggs, as he thought. William had a plan. He knew he did. People like William don't just escape from prison to mess around.

Hotch knew William wanted Spencer back, but that wasn't going to happen.

"Aaron?" Spencer asked quietly. Hotch turned around.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked, looking up at Hotch with fear in his eyes.

"No, buddy, of course not. Why do you think I'm mad at you?" Hotch walked over to him, bending down. "I-I don't know." Hotch smiled at him sadly, and kissed him on the forehead.

"I can't ever be mad at you." He said, and went on put the bacon on his and Spencer's plates.

When the eggs were done, he put them beside the bacon and sat down.

"How about you bring some toys to play with today?" Hotch said, and Spencer nodded.

"Okay." He said.

Hotch started to eat his bacon, enjoying the crispness. He hoped he could occupy Spencer long enough to do his paperwork. He knew he could ask Garcia to take care of him for a bit, but he knew Spencer didn't want to leave him. The two finished up their breakfa-st, went and got dressed, and headed out the door.

Hotch sat at his desk, laptop open, watching the surveillance video of the robbery. Spencer was sitting on the floor, playing with his lego. Hotch watched as two people walked into the convenience store. They walked down the aisles, and the man was pretending to look for something. He grabbed a few items, walked up to the cash register, and then pulled out his gun.

The woman was at his side, and as the clerk gave the man the money from the register, Hotch saw them shift a bit so he could see their face. Hotch looked at the woman's face, and saw how much she looked like Ella Green. Her face looked like it has aged a bit, though. He watched as she followed him out nervously. The video ended, and Hotch sat back. Her body language made it seem like she didn't want to be there. It was a possibility that this was Ella, and that she was being held hostage. He called Garcia.

"Garcia, can you run facial recognition for the man in the video?" He asked.

Garcia said yes, and he hung up. He looked at his son, who was building a tower with his lego. "Wanna go get a sandwich from the fridge? I'm feeling hungry." Hotch stood up, walking over to Spencer.

"Okay." Spencer stood up, and Hotch picked him up.

They walked out of his office, and down to the small kitchenette. Hotch pulled out two ham sandwiches he had put in there for him and Spencer, and handed him one. He filled up a water cup for Spencer, then walked back to his office. He sat down Spencer on the couch, and walked back to his desk.

"When we get home, do you wanna watch that space show we heard about? I read that it was going to be on."

Spencer smiled. "Okay!" He said, and Hotch grinned. He got excited over the smallest things.

He started to eat his lunch, looking over his paperwork. He had been getting more paperwork for cases on top of the case they were working now, and the stack just kept getting bigger. He went over it for a few minutes, until he heard Spencer gasp. Hotch looked up, and saw Spencer staring blankly in front of him, his sandwich laying beside him.

"Spence?" Hotch got up, walking over to Spencer. "

Go away!" Spencer yelled, pulling his knees to his chest.

He had panic all over his face, and he kept looking around. Hotch had been told about this by his doctor. Spencer was unstable, and random flash backs and panic attacks were common. Spencer was usually triggered by something beforehand, though.

"Spencer, it's okay, we're at my work. You're safe." Hotch bent down to his level.

"No, no, no, no." Spencer was moving father away from Hotch.

He started to scratch his arms. "Bad Spencer. Bad. Bad." Hotch watched, his heart breaking, as Spencer cried, trying to get away from his attacker in his mind.

He just wanted to hold him, but he knew that would make it worse. "I'm here buddy, it's okay." Hotch touched Spencer's hand lightly, but he flinched away.

"No!" Spencer began scratching harder at his arms, and Hotch was afraid he would actually hurt himself.

"Bad Spencer! Gross, bad." Spencer was repeating what his father said to him.

It was embedded in his brain to see himself that way, no matter how hard Hotch tried to change it. "You're beautiful, baby. I'm here, Spence. Aaron's here. No one can hurt you." Spencer let out a cry, holding himself tighter.

Hotch sat beside him on the couch. "Spencer bad." He said, and Hotch moved closer to him.

"No, Spencer good. You're amazing, Spence." Hotch wrapped his arms around Spencer, and Spencer grabbed onto his shirt. Hotch held him, rubbing Spencer's back as he sobbed.

"Daddy, please, please." Spencer whispered into Hotch's shirt.

"Shh, it's okay. He's not here. You're safe." Spencer whimpered. "Daddy, please help. Please." Hotch suddenly realized what he was saying.

He was calling _him_ daddy.

"I'm here, baby, I'm here." Hotch held him tighter.

"Daddy." Spencer whispered, clutching Hotch's shirt.

"Take deep breaths, baby." He heard Spencer take a shuddering breath, trying to calm himself down.

Hotch felt joy overwhelm him, despite the situation. Spencer had called him daddy. He didn't think Spencer would ever be comfortable calling him that, but he was ecstatic that he did.

"You're safe. It's okay." Hotch was still rubbing his back, and he heard Spencer's sobs start to lessen. "Scared- I- I can feel it." Spencer said quietly.

"What is happening?" Spencer squeezed his eyes shut.

"He- He's yelling at me and doing things." Spencer said.

"I'm disgusting." He whispered, his voice full of self loathing.

"No. You are not disgusting. You're the best kid in the world." Hotch kissed the top of Spencer's head. "He-He made me feel disgusting." "I know." Hotch looked down at Spencer.

"But you're not. He said all those mean things to hurt you, and they aren't true." Spencer nodded.

"Is-Is it okay if I call you daddy?" Spencer asked, looking up at Hotch.

Hotch smiled at him.

"Of course." Spencer snuggled into him.

"You're the best daddy in the world." He said, and Hotch felt his heart swell.

He loved Spencer more than anything in the world, and now, he felt more like a father.


End file.
